1. Field of the Invention
The invention discloses a cup that will dispense a predetermined amount of fluid to a user using a valve having no moving parts.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
When a person suffering from dysphagia attempts to swallow liquid in the normal amounts, the liquid often goes down the bronchus and into the lungs, causing coughing, choking and even aspiration pneumonia. This difficulty is exacerbated when the user tilts his head backward in the normal drinking position. Dysphagia is a condition associated with stroke, head injury, or other neurological disorders, and aging, and frequently occurs as a transient condition following some surgeries.
It is known that swallowing in people suffering from dysphagia may be enhanced if the head is not angulated rearwardly while drinking. In an attempt to take advantage of this, "nose-cups" have been designed which include a container part whose inner wall is circular in shape and a cutout on the rim to accommodate the nose of the user. This permits drinking while the user's head remains substantially vertical. However, such cuts have an unusual appearance, which some users may find undesirable and thus avoid using. Additionally, such conventional "nose-cups" have cylindrical inner walls that do not facilitate controlled fluid flow, tending to lead to fluid spillage. Another attempt to overcome the problem includes a cup with an exaggerated beaker-shaped pocket formed for the nose.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,928 to Stevens provides a drinking cup that includes a hollow container portion having a base and an upwardly extending side wall. The side wall defines an elliptical aperture at its apex. The inner surface of the sidewall defines an ellipse from a horizontal cross-sectional perspective at substantially all elevations between the aperture and a point proximate to the base of the container portion. The user's nasal bridge is accommodated within the aperture during drinking to prevent substantial backward angulation. Although the '928 patent provides a better gripping area and funnels the liquid to the center of the user's mouth, it does not control the amount of liquid dispensed to the user.
One solution posed by practicing speech pathologists is a drinking vessel which releases a measured amount of liquid, about 1 teaspoon, which is the amount that will be able to be swallowed by the person with dysphagia by virtue of filling and emptying of the diverticular pouches in larynx. Other solutions include spoon-feeding liquids one teaspoonful at a time or using gelling agents to thicken the liquid so it can be eaten like solid food.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,940 Wilk discloses a device for facilitating the administration of medicine comprising a tube having a cup-shaped member at the distal end. The cup-shaped member contains markings to measure the medicine to be administered. Although this device serves for applications of small amounts of medicine, its overall design eliminates its use as a drinking cup as disclosed herein.
Prior art devices are complex and none mimic the action of simply lifting the drinking vessel to the lips. The disclosed drinking cup incorporating the limited flow valve has overcome the problems associated with the prior art.